Must-haves for EASY DIY controller?
- Thread starter der_wille_zur_macht
- Start date
ZenMastr1968
New member
I got my 7805 replaced with the smaller one and have been playing with TeraHz's sample sketches - looks like my ethernet section is a dud at the moment...
I know the slave works, I can run a blink sketch off it, but no luck on even minimal LED activity on the magicjack. I'll have to start troubleshooting the output of the 28J60
I know the slave works, I can run a blink sketch off it, but no luck on even minimal LED activity on the magicjack. I'll have to start troubleshooting the output of the 28J60
ZenMastr1968
New member
It's the HanRun HR911105A, I'm loading the right AVR, and I've already tried the basic webserver sketch - won't link. I'll try a modified PING sketch and see if I get anything different. It's conceivable that it's a bad jack - I've got a second one, but would like to confirm that the 28J60 is outputting anything before I go that far...
shirley386
Member
I got my boards yesterday. What are the small holes; some of which seem to be randomly placed, that connect to nothing? Are they "stitching" the ground planes together from one side to the other?
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shirley386
Member
Another question: What's the limit on the number of sensors or relay strips that can be read/controlled? I have two tanks in the same room and another in an adjoining room. If I wanted to read three temp sensors, six float switches, control 13 MHs, 3 sets of actinics, several fans, heaters, etc. can I do it with a single Hydra or is that expecting too much. Is there a physical limitation to how far a relay strip or temp sensor can be from the main board?
DustinB
New member
It would be possible I'm sure, but I wouldn't suggest it. I would have each tank on it's own controller. If you have a problem with one tank due to the controller or something, you wouldn't want it to affect the others. Each hydra isn't very expensive at all.
The distance is dependent on which temp sensor you go with. If you use the DS18B20, you won't have any problem because the chip actually sends a digital signal instead of a voltage.
The distance is dependent on which temp sensor you go with. If you use the DS18B20, you won't have any problem because the chip actually sends a digital signal instead of a voltage.
You shouldn't run into enough voltage drop along the relay wires to matter. As for the number of control circuits, Dustin or Terahz will have to answer that.
If the fans are for cooling lights, you can use a small splitter so that they are controlled by the same relay to reduce the number of circuits.
If the fans are for cooling lights, you can use a small splitter so that they are controlled by the same relay to reduce the number of circuits.
shirley386
Member
I wanted the fans to come on progressively as the temp increased.
DustinB
New member
Anything is possible to an extent, you just have to decide how you want to do it. That's the beauty of a custom controller.
There is a limit on the number of outputs, especially PWM pins. I don't recall the exact number offhand, but there are ways around even that. Plus we have 2 AVRs on the board, you can split up functions between them and communicate if necessary.
There is a limit on the number of outputs, especially PWM pins. I don't recall the exact number offhand, but there are ways around even that. Plus we have 2 AVRs on the board, you can split up functions between them and communicate if necessary.
nauticac4
Baby Fish Wrangler
Since this is going to be an open source available to all project has there been any thoughts or discussions on placing this with someone like open pcb so anyone can order as many boards as they like without worrying about gerber files and having to purchase 10 boards ect.? Hope this recommendation/discussion doesn't violate the policies of RC if it does please delete my post.
ingoh
New member
Congrats to this great DIY project. I found this thread some days ago and spent my freetime the last 2 days with reading and cross-googleing the 1092 posts...
I got a lot of ideas for my reef-controller project. I'm working now with a cheap ATMEGA644/ENC28J60 board called Net-IO sold by a German electronic dealer.
The software I use as a base is ethersex. This is a toolkit (looking like the menuconfig of a linux kernel) supporting lots of peripherals out of the box and containing a control language to access the devices and to implement some kind of process control. 4x20 char LCD, DS18B20, Pin (in/out) and some network functions (NTP, SNMP, a small webserver) are running fine.
Due to the limited design of the board (mostly PSU, available ports) I was on the go to design an own board when I found this thread. Now I'm really unsure whether to join your project or to continue with my own...
Is anyone from Germany building Hydra? It seems hard to find some of the components at the usual dealers here.
greetings,
Ingo
I got a lot of ideas for my reef-controller project. I'm working now with a cheap ATMEGA644/ENC28J60 board called Net-IO sold by a German electronic dealer.
The software I use as a base is ethersex. This is a toolkit (looking like the menuconfig of a linux kernel) supporting lots of peripherals out of the box and containing a control language to access the devices and to implement some kind of process control. 4x20 char LCD, DS18B20, Pin (in/out) and some network functions (NTP, SNMP, a small webserver) are running fine.
Due to the limited design of the board (mostly PSU, available ports) I was on the go to design an own board when I found this thread. Now I'm really unsure whether to join your project or to continue with my own...
Is anyone from Germany building Hydra? It seems hard to find some of the components at the usual dealers here.
greetings,
Ingo
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
Not sure if I'm familiar with openpcb. Do you have a link?
That hardware is like half a Hydra - very interesting indeed. I don't know of anyone from Germany building a Hydra, but we did put a lot of effort into keeping parts selection as standard and basic as possible (with a few unfortunate exceptions) so you should be able to find replacements through typical outlets - I don't know if Mouser or digi-key have branches in Germany? Or what about farnell?
nauticac4
Baby Fish Wrangler
They have a section for opensource bare boards. Batchpcb has a similar service, we simply list the board at "cost" so that no one is making money and everyone is getting the same thing.
http://iteadstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19&zenid=ma1eh73968lrb5g52rno1u0sg5
Just figure getting listed somewhere like this rather than having everone order 10 boards and trying to organize group buys here and such a one stop shop for as many boards as needed might be the answer.
http://iteadstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19&zenid=ma1eh73968lrb5g52rno1u0sg5
Just figure getting listed somewhere like this rather than having everone order 10 boards and trying to organize group buys here and such a one stop shop for as many boards as needed might be the answer.
DustinB
New member
I think what he is referencing is the "open source bare board" service like they have at itead. http://iteadstudio.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=19_21
They stock limited numbers of some popular open source project boards. The trick there would be convincing them that your board is popular enough for them to stock. They would also be making money directly off your board design, depending on how you look at it of course. They seem to be charging $3 for an arduino sized board though, not far off from the 10 board proto service.
EDIT: Dang, you just beat me.
They stock limited numbers of some popular open source project boards. The trick there would be convincing them that your board is popular enough for them to stock. They would also be making money directly off your board design, depending on how you look at it of course. They seem to be charging $3 for an arduino sized board though, not far off from the 10 board proto service.
EDIT: Dang, you just beat me.
der_wille_zur_macht
Team RC
It's essentially a commercial relationship they're looking for. In other words, yes, the designs are open source, but they want to make money on them.
Batchpcb's is more attractive from that perspective, in that we could choose the price to be "at cost" and remove the commercial aspect, but they require individuals to submit a W-9 in order to list products and I'm not really interested in that myself.
Batchpcb's is more attractive from that perspective, in that we could choose the price to be "at cost" and remove the commercial aspect, but they require individuals to submit a W-9 in order to list products and I'm not really interested in that myself.
nauticac4
Baby Fish Wrangler
Maybe since this is completely open source they would wave that requirement for us. I am waiting on a response back from iTead to see what they say as far as listing with them. I am sure someone will list this for us. Sparkfun also has a list your widget with them and that might be an option but it might get a little hairy for the "commercial" aspect.
DustinB
New member
I would imagine itead would do it. I know they have to have made roughly 60-80 hydra boards or more. I've been trying to catch him on live chat to ask about the magjacks. Maybe I should send him an e-mail. Would be nice if people could get a board and an HR911105A from there.
